The After-Effects Of The Gilded Age

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The Gilded Age was a period in history categorized by the immense amount of change that the United States of America underwent. It was a time of unexpected industrial and technological growth after the Civil War. And it was a period of repair and transformation for the country. The after-effects of the Civil War had left the country in shambles (mostly in the South). But due to new innovations in communication, electricity, and mechanization, the country became the most dominant industrial power in the world. During this time, “Captains of Industry” emerged as corporate titans and ruled the economy. They founded “trusts” and ruled their corporations with iron fists, crushing smaller competition and remaining unrelenting in their torturing labor practices. These monopolists took advantage of the lack of regulations to …show more content…

These acts were enacted after President Theodore Roosevelt’s concerns after he read “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. The first act was the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. This act prevented the production, sale, or transportation of low-quality foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors. This act was significant because it established federal authority in the realm of the food packing industry and it made sure that people were receiving and intaking quality food, which helped the overall health of the population. Next, the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 mandated that all animals were to be inspected before and after they were slaughtered to become meat. This act ensured that the meat was of high quality and not left over meat shipped from Britain. Again, this act was significant because it introduced a federal authority to this industry and helped the meat industry become safe again. These acts were both significant in the context of the thesis because they altered corrupt/unsafe business